Research articles

Ethnographic and anthropological records of 91 societies show that chronic resource scarcity and environmental unpredictability are linked to higher subsistence diversity and resilience.

Four experiments where participants choose between products ‘for green shoppers’ and/or cheaper products show that the green label encourages purchases only in the absence of price discount.

A smart management of hydropower, combined with solar and wind energy, can provide the flexibility needed to power West Africa and at cheaper cost than using natural gas, according to a simulation model.

Natural disasters can obstruct first responders when and where they are needed most. This analysis models the response of emergency service stations during flooding events in England to find major impacts on ambulance and fire services at a time of escalating flood risks to the country.

Biomass pyrolysis for renewable energy and chemicals offers sustainability advantages but is expensive. This study shows a route to improve both the sustainability and economic viability of biomass pyrolysis by using pyrolytic gases and waste heat to fabricate high-quality carbon nanomaterials.

A framed common-pool resource game analysis in the Brazilian Amazon shows that participatory initiatives are associated with cooperative behaviour and intrinsic motivations for tree conservation.

A large-scale land-titling programme in the Brazilian Amazon did not affect forest cover in large landholdings, but induced deforestation in the small and medium ones, driven by crop and cattle price increases.

Photovoltaic panel conversion generates heat that reduces the energy efficiency and lifetime of the panel. A photovoltaic panel cooling strategy by a sorption-based atmospheric water harvester is shown to improve the productivity of electricity generation with important sustainability advantages.

While many regions are striving to reduce water consumption, this Article examines the side effects and downstream impacts on wastewater quality for human and ecosystem health.

The long-term impacts on mortality risks of exposure to disasters have not been analysed. Using data from Indonesia collected before and after the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, this study examines the effects of the disaster on mortality risks of survivors over the subsequent ten years.

Hazards affect more than the area originally hit. This study finds cities distant from cyclones may still be vulnerable to secondary impacts through their trade networks.

Transforming the energy system to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2100 is vital to fight climate change. This target can be achieved in California, USA, by 2050—alongside air quality benefits especially in disadvantaged communities—by using bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration.

Water and wastewater infrastructure worldwide faces unprecedented challenges. A new model can assess the environmental and economic implications of a hybrid water supply system that provides a centralized surface water supply with distributed direct potable reuse of municipal wastewater.

Agriculture has a massive and growing footprint. This study finds that optimizing fertilizer and major crops globally could reduce by 50% needed global cropland, allowing restored vegetation on spared land to sequester carbon.

The effect of education on climate change risks is integral to the relation between climate and development, but difficult to quantify. This article finds potential increases in emissions as well as HDI values due to improved educational attainment in developing countries.

Cleaner hydrogen production can help energy sustainability. The use of yeast biomass-derived materials to develop efficient, eco-friendly and economical catalysts—compared with industrially adopted catalysts—is shown to improve hydrogen production as a strategy towards a sustainable energy system.

Carbon use often tracks economic development. This study finds the top 5% of Chinese households by income have 17% of the nation’s carbon ‘footprint’ in 2012 but that such inequality declined with China’s economic growth.

Natural disaster risk assessments neglect impacts on households’ well-being. A model to quantify disaster impacts more equitably shows that, in a hypothetical earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area, poorer households suffer 19% of the asset losses but 41% of the well-being losses.

Synthetic detergents are environmentally damaging and eco-friendly alternatives would help reduce environmental impacts. This study shows a more sustainable detergent, based on cellulose nanospheres obtained from agricultural waste corncob, with strong cleaning performance and low toxicity.

Heat waves can pose a threat to biodiversity as heat stress kills sperm cells across the animal kingdom. Here, honey bee queens are found to be vulnerable to temperature changes and the specific stress-response proteins activated in the spermatheca are discussed as potential indicators of heat stress.